popinjay

3 definitions found

popinjay - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Popinjay \Pop"in*jay\, n. [OE. popingay, papejay, OF. papegai,
     papegaut; cf. Pr. papagai, Sp. & Pg. papagayo, It.
     pappagallo, LGr. ?, NGr. ?; in which the first syllables are
     perhaps imitative of the bird's chatter, and the last either
     fr. L. gallus cock, or the same word as E. jay, F. geai. Cf.
     Papagay.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Zool.)
        (a) The green woodpecker.
        (b) A parrot.
            [1913 Webster]
  
                  The pye and popyngay speak they know not what.
                                                    --Tyndale.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A target in the form of a parrot. [Scot.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A trifling, chattering, fop or coxcomb. "To be so pestered
        with a popinjay." --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]

  Yaffle \Yaf"fle\ (y[a^]f"f'l), n. [Probably imitative of its
     call or cry.] (Zool.)
     The European green woodpecker (Picus viridis syn. Genius viridis
     ). It is noted for its loud laughlike note. Called
     also eccle, hewhole, highhoe, laughing bird,
     popinjay, rain bird, yaffil, yaffler, yaffingale,
     yappingale, yackel, and woodhack.
     [1913 Webster]

popinjay - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  popinjay
      n 1: a vain and talkative person (chatters like a parrot)
      2: an archaic term for a parrot